The Bartered Bride

Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884)

Janacek Theatre – Rooseveltova 1-7 |

2013: Wednesday November 6, Thursday December 19

2014: Tuesday February 11, Tuesday April 1, Tuesday June 17, Wednesday June 18

Libretto: Karel Sabina

Conductor: Petr Vronský, Jaroslav KyzlinkDirector: Ondřej Havelka

Cast

Krušina,a peasant

Pavel Kamas, Jiří Klecker

Ludmila, Krušina´s wife

Natalia Romanová, Daniela Straková-Šedrlová, Jitka Zerhauová

Mařenka, Krušina´s daughter

Eva Dřízgová-Jirušová, Daniela Straková-Šedrlová, Pavla Vykopalová

Mícha, a landowner

Jan Hladík, Aleš Šťáva

Háta, Micha´s wife

Adriana Hlavsová, Jana Iskrová

Vašek, Mícha´s son

Zoltán Korda, Milan Rudolecký

Jeník, Mícha´s son from a former marriage

Peter Berger, Aleš Briscein, Otokar Klein

Kecal, a marriage broker

Martin Gurbal’, Richard Novák, Zdeněk Plech, Jiří Sulženko

Ringmaster

Zdeněk Šmukař, Martin Zbrožek

Esmeralda, a dancer and comedienne

Kateřina Kněžíková, Tereza Merklová, Andrea Priechodská

Indian, an Indian comedian

Jiří Klecker, Jakub Tolaš

Tightrope Walker

Ladislav Kaiser

Janáček Opera Ensemble and Orchestra of the National Theatre Brno

Premiere 24th March 2006, Janáček Theatre

The most famous Czech opera about a beau who sold his sweetheart

After the successful premiere of Smetana’s first opera, a drama called The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, he decided to compose a contrasting comic work that was truly rooted in Czech tradition. Together with the writer Karel Sabina, they chose a rural theme with realistic characters and the opera premiered in Prague in 1866. The story takes place in a small Bohemian village where two young lovers live, Mařenka and Jeník. However Mařenka’s parents, along with the marriage broker, want her to marry the son of the rich landowner, Mícha, to whom her father owes a debt. With both Mařenka and Jeník disguising their identities, whilst comically deceiving several characters, true love prevails and the happy couple are united.

As a musical picture of Czech life, The Bartered Bride has become arguably the most popular Czech opera of all time and is a mainstay in opera houses around the world. Smetana’s operas established him as a founding father of Czech, classical music. In The Bartered Bride he uses traditional Bohemian dance forms such as the polka and furiant making the work quintessentially Czech in spirit. Smetana’s light-hearted masterpiece provokes not only national pride when played in its homeland, but also strikes the same inspirational chords when played abroad. The Bartered Bride promises a delightful evening full of fun and entertainment for the whole family.